I'm always am amazed by the reaction of God's people to disaster. The selfless, generous, and sacrificial giving of so many touches my heart. The determination to save the orphaned children, to get medical care to the survivors, and to put their hands to the work marks those with sensitive hearts. Friends from various organizations and ministries on the ground in Haiti reported of countless people who hopped on planes and landed in Haiti to help with nothing but the shirt on their backs. For these, their heart was in the right place, but their ability to actually help was very limited.

Some are frustrated by the outpouring of good deeds and financial contributions to the crisis. I remember that Hurricane Katrina was very similar. Those in other states with great need were frustrated by the millions given to New Orleans...but they had not been there. They did not see the devastation. These were not heartless, nor did they lack compassion. They simply didn't understand.

I understood the reaction to Katrina's crisis as I now do the Haiti crisis. I saw the aftermath of Katrina as I worked with Hope Force International's team at the Dome in Houston. 25,000 people crammed together with nothing but cots and a small pile of personal belongings. Everything else was gone. Memories of drowning loved ones. Trauma of emergency rescues. Children and parents desperate to find one another. So much sickness...the need was beyond comprehension.

The earthquake in Haiti brought a devastation to far more than Hurricane Katrina did. There are hundreds of thousands buried in mass graves that will never have a marker to remember their names. There are even more severely injured, orphaned, widowed, displaced, without the hope of work or escape. These are migrating anywhere in search of hope or being clustered in camps to survive while new homes are built. Though I haven't been there yet, I know from previous experience that there will not be enough water, enough latrines or adequate space for the thousands gathered. These are the "huddled masses" America promised to love with Lady Liberty near Ellis Island.

Should we help them? For the Christian,the answer is easy: "What would Jesus do?" The Heart Cry International HELP HAITI drive is a response to that important question. We are gathering basic health care supplies and sewing kits to be mass distributed; we are creating small "trauma kits" for the children so devastated by the tragedy; we are standing with our injured missionaries in their recovery of health and ministry; we are moving forward with plans to establish a new orphanage in Haiti. I will be leaving for Haiti in the next week or two.

The key in a crisis is to somehow respond to the urgent need without abandoning the day-to-day and very real needs of our own nation, as well as those we've committed to helping elsewhere. This is where the frustration for some enters in. But to our friends here in America and to our partners overseas: We will not forget you! This is why HCI will be starting new programs this week and advancing existing Impact Center efforts in the nations. We will continue to recruit sponsors for our widows and children. We will finish the discipleship curriculums being written for Guatemala, Nigeria, and the United States.

We invite you to join us. It's so easy to make a difference if you join hands with a quality organization that is doing what it claims to be doing. We're extending our hand to you today. With your support, more lives will be changed; more orphans sheltered and loved; more nations impacted with the gospel; more youth will be educated in schools and allowed a way out of poverty. It is our delight to be your representatives in Haiti and beyond. We are committed to this work and are so grateful for your support!